NEW portraits of former premier Margaret Thatcher and Labour legend Aneurin Bevan were unveiled side-by-side in the Senedd last night having already prompted political controversy.

Plaid AM Bethan Jenkins has described the presence of Margaret Thatcher’s image in Cardiff Bay as an “insult” to Wales, which saw thousands of coalfield jobs disappear during her premiership.

But Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan yesterday hit back at the Iron Lady’s detractors, saying the Thatcher era “paved the way for thousands of low income families to become homeowners, strengthened the NHS and revitalised the economy”.

The four-metre-high images, cut into pieces of tinplate, have prompted a wider discussion about the Welsh legacy of the two iconic figures.

The artist behind the work, Dylan Hammond, said: “If it produces a bit of debate that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”